Recovering gold from IC lead frames with ALS2
Australia’s rapid turnover of mobile phones, computers and household electronics creates a steady stream of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Within it, integrated circuits can contain small quantities of gold on selected pads of metal lead frames. “Lead frame” does not mean the frame is lead: many are copper alloys, with gold plating on selected die-attach pads. Once encapsulated in moulded epoxy, that gold is difficult to reach because the package locks metal, resin, fillers and additives into a mixed material. Handling gold from IC lead frames in molded epoxy packages is therefore a material-specific recovery challenge rather than a simple metal-sorting job.
Ikoi S.p.A.’s ALS2Project addresses that challenge with an acidless separation technology intended for safer, cleaner recovery of precious metals from WEEE streams. The project’s focus is not chemical-free processing; it is avoiding mineral-acid dissolution while producing a concentrated metal-bearing stream in a compact precious-metals recovery plant. Backed by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, ALS2 offers Australian e-waste operators a route to investigate for separating fine, high-value material from complex electronic residues.
Why the package makes recovery difficult
The package structure explains why gold losses occur. Mould compound is a thermoset epoxy containing mineral filler, colourants, stress-relief materials and, in some formulations, brominated flame retardants. Shredding exposes copper, tin, nickel, silver, gold and potentially lead-bearing alloys, but it also spreads the gold across a broad particle-size range and mixes it with resin dust. A process designed for bulk circuit boards may therefore recover only part of the value locked in this small component stream.
Two obstacles follow. First, the gold-plated area is tiny relative to the package, so manual dismantling is slow and expensive. Second, sending whole boards or mixed packages to a general refinery can dilute the gold-bearing fraction and complicate recovery of other metals. A dedicated lead-frame stream gives the process a more useful composition and lets the plant tune liberation and separation to the actual feed.
| Processing approach | Feed handling | Main output | Principal management issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acid-based recovery | Shredded WEEE may be leached directly or after pre-concentration | Metal-bearing solution followed by precipitation or electrowinning | Acid consumption, corrosive hazards and liquid-effluent treatment |
| Whole-feed thermal treatment | Mixed boards and components are smelted or pyrothermally treated | Bullion, matte or an ash-based metal stream | Energy demand, off-gas treatment, dust and potential metal loss |
| ALS2-enabled route | Package and lead-frame material is selected before acidless separation | Concentrated metal-rich fraction and a residue stream | Feed consistency, downstream finishing and residue characterisation |
For an Australian plant designer, the route should be selected from feed composition rather than from a universal assumption that one refinery method suits every residue. If the package stream is contaminated with batteries, lamps or substantial amounts of plastic, it may need additional sorting before separation. This makes the comparison a starting point for technical and commercial assessment rather than a substitute for trial data.
How ALS2 handles encapsulated gold
ALS2 fits most naturally after controlled feed preparation. Electronic recyclers can dismantle or shred devices, remove larger mechanical parts and classify the resulting material so that IC packages and exposed lead frames become a distinct stream. Screens, air classification and density-based steps can improve liberation, while magnetic separation removes ferrous items and eddy-current separation can remove non-ferrous clutter. The objective is a clean, consistent metal-bearing fraction before the ALS2 separation stage.
At that stage, Ikoi’s acidless process is used to separate valuable metal-bearing material from much of the non-metallic packaging residue without relying on acid leaching. The package epoxy is not “turned into” gold; rather, the process concentrates the gold-bearing fraction so it can be recovered efficiently. The output is not automatically pure bullion. Depending on assay and downstream infrastructure, it may still need thermal finishing, electrorefining or another approved refining step before saleable metal is produced.
Control of feed consistency is crucial. Operators should sample gold, silver, copper and lead, track package and board content, and record moisture, particle size and prior heat exposure. Australia’s “urban mining” language captures the ambition well, but the practical discipline is metallurgy: every batch needs a mass balance and an assay so that recovered value can be reconciled with residue. ALS2 can reduce the chemical burden of that work without removing the need for measurement.
Building an Australian recovery line
A compact ALS2 installation could suit a metropolitan processing hub in Sydney or Melbourne, where household replacement cycles and office equipment refits generate concentrated flows of discarded electronics. Those cities have dense collections for e-waste, consumer return points and specialist material handlers, creating opportunities to assemble a reliable package feed instead of chasing isolated items. Locating the recovery unit near the aggregation point can also lower transport costs and reduce the risk of loss or contamination in high-value material.
The Australian commercial model would likely involve several partners. Municipal e-waste services and retailer take-back programmes can supply material; IT asset-disposal contractors can provide cleaner batches from business equipment; specialist recyclers can dismantle and pre-sort products. These channels reward traceability and consistent quality because a compact separation plant cannot absorb every grade of mixed WEEE. Contract terms should state what material enters the line, how contamination is rejected and how the recovered-metal share is measured.
Plant layout should connect the steps without moving the fine fraction unnecessarily. A practical sequence is audited intake, package liberation, metal-rich classification, ALS2 separation, metal finishing and residue handling. Each container needs clear labelling and sealed transfer to prevent dust loss. A metallurgical laboratory or assayer should be close enough for rapid checks, while state and territory hazardous-waste requirements must be considered for lead, brominated residues and any contaminated fines. National policy sets direction, but local approvals and transport controls ultimately shape the operating design.
Safety, sustainability and commercial value
The main safety argument for an acidless route is straightforward: less mineral acid means lower corrosive inventory, fewer acid spills and usually less demand for neutralisation and liquid-effluent treatment. It can also make a smaller, modular installation more practical for an urban site. These are meaningful gains, but “acidless” is not “risk-free”. Operators still need controls for silica and resin dust, combustible dust, noise, electrical hazards, furnace or off-gas equipment where fitted, and the potential release of lead or brominated compounds.
A credible sustainability case should be based on measured outcomes: grams of gold recovered per tonne of feed, percentage value sent to refining, water and reagent consumption, energy use, waste diverted from landfill and the fate of every residue. The baseline must reflect the plant’s existing dismantling, transport and disposal route. Avoidable transport can erase a benefit achieved in the separation vessel, while a residue sent to a specialist hazardous-waste facility may carry a substantial environmental cost.
Gold’s Australian-dollar price, linked to the global bullion market and the local currency, makes the economics move with exchange rates and market sentiment. Small changes in recovery yield can matter when gold is recovered in such small proportions, so predictable feed and reliable assays are commercially valuable. The case should also account for by-product metals, plant capacity, maintenance, labour, insurance and the premium required to purchase clean lead-frame material. A laboratory recovery is promising; a bankable model needs continuous, representative operation.
Build an Australian ALS2 pilot
Start a commercial evaluation with a controlled ALS2 pilot using representative IC-package and lead-frame material from an Australian recycler. The trial should not rely only on hand-selected frames; include realistic board residues and typical contamination. Agree the feed specification, recovery target, residue limits, sampling method, operating hours, safety performance and scale-up assumptions before the run. That creates evidence both the technical team and an Australian investor can use.
Ask Ikoi for the pilot configuration, engineering data, operator training, maintenance requirements and references from the European programme. The wider project context is available through European project information. A site visit or live demonstration can help an Australian engineering team assess containment, controls and maintenance access. Local waste specialists and metallurgical laboratories should review the results independently, including residue assays and mass balances.
Build the next stage around a representative feed contract, a modular ALS2 line and agreed purchase terms for the gold-bearing output. Involve an appropriately licensed waste contractor, an independent assayer and experienced electrical recyclers from the start, then demonstrate performance across multiple batches rather than one campaign. Contact Ikoi with a sample of the intended feed and a clear recovery target, and begin the process that can turn ALS2’s acidless separation technology into a safe, compact Australian recovery operation.